The Anonymous Widower

Government Pauses Midland Main Line Electrification

This is the first paragraph of this article on Modern Railways.

The Government has paused the third phase of Midland main line electrification to Sheffield and Nottingham, plus the final phase of the South West Rail Resilience Programme (SWRRP), which involves strengthening cliffs at Holcombe.

Currently, the Midland Main Line electrification appears to have been installed between London St. Pancras and Wigston, where there is a triangular junction.

This article on Modern Railways is entitled MML Wires To Wigston energised, says this in the first paragraph.

A major milestones on the Midland Main Line has been achieved with the energisation of the newly installed overhead wires between Kettering and Wigston and the first trip for a new East Midlands Railway Aurora bi-mode unit to St Pancras.

This OpenRailwayMap shows the Midland Main Line between Leicester station and Wigston junction.

Note.

1. Red tracks are electrified.
2. Black tracks are not electrified.
3. Black/red dashed tracked are being electrified.
4. Wigston junction is at the bottom of the map.
5. The red track indicates that the South of the junction is electrified.
6. The North of the junction is now electrified according to the Modern Railways article.
7. The West of the junction is not electrified and leads to the electrified Trent Valley Line at Nuneaton.
8. The junction in the middle of the map is Knighton junction, that leads to Burton-on-Trent station.
9. In the North-East corner of the map is Leicester station.

Distances from the electrified part of Wigston junction are as follows.

• Derby – 32.5 miles
• Leeds – 107.8 miles
• Leicester – 13.1 miles
• Nottingham – 30.5 miles
• Nuneaton – 15.6 miles
• Sheffield – 68.9 miles

I asked Google AI how far one of Hitachi’s Class 802 trains had gone during tests and got this reply.

A Class 802 train, when operating solely on battery power, can achieve a range of approximately 44 miles (70 km). This was demonstrated in a trial where a five-car Class 802/2 train reached a maximum speed of 87 mph using battery power alone, covering non-electrified sections. Hitachi Rail and Angel Trains are conducting trials to assess the viability of battery technology for longer distances and to reduce reliance on diesel power on non-electrified sections of routes.

Hitachi’s tests were performed with just one diesel engine replaced by a battery pack and it should be born in mind, that the Class 810 trains, that will be used on the Midland Main Line have four diesel engines.

As an electrical engineer, I feel battery range should be additive, so a three-battery train could have a range as much as 120 miles.

• This range would do nicely for a London and Leeds service, as Leeds station is fully-electrified to charge a train for return.
• As London and Sheffield return would be 137.8 miles, a charge at Sheffield would probably be needed to top-up the batteries.

On the other hand a two-battery and two-diesel unit, would have a battery range sufficient for the following services.

• London and Derby and return.
• London and Nottingham and return.
• London and Sheffield with return after a charge.
• London and Leeds with an intermediate charge at Sheffield.

We live in very electrifying times.

I am sure, that Hitachi and their battery-makers will find a solution to run all-electric services to the North of Wigston junction, without full electrification, but with just a charger at Sheffield.

The Electrification Problem At Leicester

Some years ago I came back to London from Leicester with a group of drivers. At one point, the conversation turned to electrification and they said that they had met a Network Rail engineer, who had told them, that the bridge was rather low for electrification and the track couldn’t be lowered because Leicester’s main sewer was underneath the railway.

In Leicester Station – 4th Jan 2022, I show a selection of pictures of Leicester station’s Grade II Listed frontage.

I doubt it would be possible to seriously alter Leicester station to electrify it, as the Heritage Taliban would have a field day.

But if I’m right that all services will be run North of Wigston on batteries, there will be no need to electrify through Leicester station.

Not only would using batter-electric trains probably be more affordable than electrification, but also because of the Leicester problem, it would be less inconvenient for passengers.

Could London and Leicester Be Run In An Hour Or Even Less?

Consider.

• The London and Sheffield services, which go non-stop between London and Leicester take around 64-66 minutes.
• The London and Nottingham services, which stop at Market Harborough take about 5-6 minutes longer.
• London and Leicester is 98.9 miles.
• The fastest trains average 93 mph between London and Leicester.
• Much of the route between London and Leicester has a maximum speed of 100 mph or more, with some sections of 125 mph running.
• Regenerative braking should reduce the time for the Market Harborough stop.

I can certainly see the non-stop Sheffield services being timed at under an hour between London and Leicester.

But I wouldn’t rule out all services between London and Leicester being timed at under an hour.

Could London and Sheffield Be Run In Two Hours Or Even Less?

Given that most services between London and Sheffield take two hours and four minutes and I reckon six minutes could be saved between London and Leicester, I suspect two hours or less is a very attainable target for London and Sheffield services.

Why Not Fit Four Batteries And Be Done With it?

I suspect it will be down to reliability and whether running the diesels on hydrotreated vegeatble oil is acceptable to some politicians.

Would This Be The World’s First Battery-Electric Main Line With 200 kph Running?

Quite possibly!

Conclusion

I can see no disadvantage in not electrifying North of Wigston junction and using battery-electric trains.

It could even be a lot more affordable.

 

 

July 9, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Class 802 Train, Class 810 Train, Derby Station, Discontinuous Electrification, Hitachi Intercity Tri-Mode Battery Train, Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), Leeds Station, Leicester Station, Midland Main Line, Nottingham Station, Sheffield Station